1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to a vehicle body structure and, more particularly, to a structure that joins members constituting a body of a bus to each other.
2. Description of Related Art
Typically, frames of conventional bus bodies are formed in such a way that hollow tubular members are bonded to each other. Pillars of the members that form the frames of the bus bodies are members which are disposed on sides of the vehicles and extend predetermined lengths vertically. Rails are members that extend predetermined lengths in the longitudinal direction of the vehicles. The junctions between the pillars and the rails are joined to each other by welding, a mechanical coupling method making use of rivets, bolts, etc., or a chemical coupling method making use of adhesive.
The frames of large vehicles such as buses must be able to support not only the large weight of a vehicle itself but also the weight of a large number of passengers and a load. In addition, generally, the traveling time and distance of the vehicles such as buses are comparatively long. Therefore, the junctions between the pillars and the rails must be sufficiently strong that vibrations or noise of the vehicles can be avoided and durability ensured.
The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.